Connecting with other interests.

[rocala]

I am curious as to how other members connect their family history passion with other interests?

I have a lifelong interest in military matters so originally my family tree was a bit disappointing. Once I had managed to get into the medieval world, that all changed.

I also have a strong affection for old railways, the age of steam. Having three ancestors in the industry has been a great incentive to find out more.

[Girl Guide]

I must admit I did quite a bit of research in connection with my husband's family.  A good number of them worked in various capacities in the railway, mainly the GWR.  Either in the direct line or sideways through other lines.

The first connection was through my husband's great grandfather who was born in 1849.

I was interested to see how many kept the railway connection and how many moved on to something else.

The railway connection is still alive as my son works for the GWR.

[iluleah]

I love textile art so have made several FH connected pieces

* When remove/replacing broken slate tiles from a old farmhouse roof which goes back to maternal great grandparents on one I engraved a horse, dog and cat ( my ancestors were farmers and I work with animals) and made it into a clock

* Collecting sheeps wool I have made a large felted wall hanging, used old wire coat hangers my gran was throwing out to twist and make into a tree which I bronzed and felted in a FH poem

* My maternal great uncle died in WW1 aged 19yrs so I made a fabric poppy tiffany lampshade in memory of him

My paternal grandpa served in the army and was involved with horses, born, brought up and lived in in Leicestershire he worked maintaining the city trams/buses afterwards so I did a textile picture 'collage' of all that Leicestershire means, the foxes/horses, the clock tower, the tram lines made from thread wrapped wire and into the first letter of his surname

Another fabric tiffany lamp a dragonfly one which reminds me of the large pond my cousins and I used to fish in when kids and there were lots of beautiful coloured dragonflies there

I hate to see things thrown away, so make a lot of what I call 'junk art'... so an egg box clock, no electrican or plumber is safe as I want bits of wire they don't use to strip out the copper wire or the copper pipes bits they cut off

[rocala]

They are beautiful iluleah. You must get so much satisfaction from this.

[Dave White]

Family History is actually my newest hobby.

My older hobbies are reading, railways, the Whitechapel Murders and Postal History/Stamps.

I originally bought into Ancestry because of background researches for the Whitechapel Murders (I should explain most of my mother's side of the family originate in Whitechapel, hence the interest!) and rapidly found that exploring the familial connections of some of my earlier Postal History was interesting too.

From there it was simply a leap and a jump into a hobby in which one of my daughters had an interest some years back.

Dave

(PS And no I have virtually no interest in who the murderer was...very few real "Ripperologists" (as we've been dubbed) do...the interest is mainly in the area, it's history and how the events fit in with the beginning of the modern age)

[iluleah]

Thank you rocala, yes I love doing it but I can have several pieces on the go at once and some have to sit there in my view only  part way made while I work out how best to make/finish them...

[Top-of-the-hill]

  My other main interest is related - local history. As I live in the area where many of my ancestors also lived, the two do sometimes dovetail together.
  To some extent it works the other way - the local and family history leads me into other interests.

[rocala]

Hi Dave, nice to see the rail group is growing with you and Girl Guide. I share your interest in Whitechapel. Some of my family worked for the Bell foundry from mid 19th c. My parents had a pub in Brick Lane in the early 60's. The area was still old and atmospheric then.

[coombs]

The Titanic and her sister ships is also a huge interest of mine as well as genealogy.